Hurricane Hazel strikes Port Hope, 1954
Thanks to Catharine Tozer for the newspapers

Hurricane Hazel Will Strike Canada Tonight.
From the Evening Guide October 15, 1954

Toronto And Montreal Weather Offices Will Give Warning If Needed.

Montreal, Oct. 15 (BUP) - Hurricane Hazel was expected to have plenty of wallop left when it strikes Canada tonight. Dominion weather offices in Halifax, Toronto and Montreal charted the course of the tropical tempest and were prepared to issue special warnings if necessary. The Toronto weather office said the storm would strike through western New York State tonight. It was expected to weaken considerably, but still will be a vigorous storm as it skirts the eastern end of Lake Ontario. Strong to gale force northerly winds were forecast for the southeastern regions of Ontario.
The Montreal weather office said Hazel was moving rapidly northward and would bring heavy rain to Quebec and New England later today. The storm's winds were not likely to exceed thirty miles an hour in Quebec and northern New England.
The Halifax weather bureau said there is a chance of gales developing around the western Maritimes tomorrow morning.

Toronto, Oct. 15 (BUP) - Torrential rains swept across the Toronto area today, and Hurricane Hazel was not far behind. A full inch of rain fell on the city in four early morning hours, blocking every traffic route into the city, flooding subways, roads and basements and causing a rash of traffic accidents. Weather officials said more rain and strong winds were due tonight as the hurricane - Worst of the season so far - heads north across western New York State. Seamen on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario were warned they may be hit by winds of 40 to 70 miles per hour. Forecasters predicted, however, that the 100 mile an hour winds will be cut in velocity by the overland trip and may be diverted or broken up by the Allegheny Mountains. If the storm hits Toronto the winds probably would be down to about 60 miles an hour. More than two inches of rain have fallen on the city since yesterday morning, and the weatherman said a fresh batch of rain reaching 300 to 400 miles ahead of the hurricane would hit this afternoon and tonight with an equal amount. Dozens of cars stalled in puddles in city subways and in many sections cars cawled bumper to bumper for blocks.

Traffic Stalls.
Highway 11 was washed out at a spot near Langstaff and traffic backed up two miles while a bulldozer hauled stalled cars out of the middle. Water flooded the approaches to the Humber Bridge, stalling four lanes of cars at the hight of the morning rush. Four feet of water flooded a New Toronto subway, trapping two cars and a truck.
Storm, sewers in the King Street subway backed up and blew two manhole covers into the air.
Overflowing drains flooded some basements in North York to a depth of four feet. Electricity was cut off in some homes.
Rivers flooded elsewhere in the province. The Suageen was reported near the flood stage at miles southwest of Owen Sound. The Teeswater near Pinkerton, north of Walkerton, was rising steadily. At Wallaceburg, near Chatham, streets were flooded and the sugar beet harvest halted by three inches of rain.
A four-year-old child was swept away late yesterday by the rain-swollen waters of the Come-togo River near his Drayton home.
The early morning downpour was so heavy that one conscience-stricken Toronto burglar who broke a jewelry store window and stole two watches telephoned police to report himself. "The other things in the window are getting very wet," he said.

Resort Washed Into Sea As Hurricane Plows Way Northward Through U.S.
Wilmington, N.C., Oct. 15 . - (UP) - A mighty hurricane rammed ashore near Myrtle Beach, S.C., today with winds of 130 miles an hour, causing extensive damage, and aimed a "head-on" blow at this busy port city. Hurricane Hazel, accompanied by torrents of rain, hit with a punch that washed piers away at this popular coastal resort and severed communications lines. The Miami weather bureau issued a special 10 a.m. EST advisory saying the hurricane moved inland a short distance east of Myrtle Beach at 9:15 a.m. with highest winds "estimated over 100 miles an hour." Hurricane force winds and "extremely heavy rains" will continue to the north and east of the storm center as the big blow beres across North Carolina and into Virginia, the weather bureau said. It's mortally blowing," a radio station man said at Conway, S.C., 26 miles inland from Myrtle Beach, just before the last telephone connection with the town was cut. The hurricane bored inland in a north-northwesterly direction that threatened the entire eastern seaboard as far north as Boston. At least two piers were reported washed away at Myrtle Beach and the little resort of Windy Hill near there was said to have been washed into the sea.

Abandon Station.
The U.S. weather station at Myrtle Beach was abandoned. The last report from the station said Tersely, "all land out, abandoning station." Winds were only 60 miles an hour at that point, however. Jack Hopton, an amateur radio operator at Atlanta, Ga., picked up by short wave a weather bureau report that the hurricane center passed over Myrtle Beach at 9:22 a.m. and that at 10:02 a.m. winds were 90 miles an hour. the Police Chief Lacy Edwards of Marion, SsC., 'reported the community of East Cherry Grove to the north of Myrtle Beach is practically gone.' Myrtle Beach city officials were "calling for help," Edwards said but no injuries or deaths were reported. Garden City, 20 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach, had water flowing five feet deep in some streets at the height of the storm. At Beaufort, N.C., 40 miles northwest of Wilmington, pounding waves churned up by the hurricane crushed into the ground floor of the Ocean King Hotel. Sea water was running into stores. Concession stands at Morehead City N.C., were washed away and sea water was pounding the sea all in front of the hospital at Morehead City.

Resort Gone,
Policeman. R,. B. Rose at Florence, S.C., 68 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach, was in radio contract with the coastal resort and said the place took a severe pounding. The resort of Windy Hill near there was "washed away," he said. The hurricane, which a pilot reported had been "weaving so badly all night that it is hard to keep its course charted," posed a threat to the entire eastern seaboard as far north as New England. "The situation at Myrtle Beach is very bad," Rose said. "It's going to be awhile before we can tell what happened." New York and Boston were put on the alert for Hazel's churning journey which so far had left many dead or injured in its path. An amateur radio operator at Harbour Island, N.C., called for aid early today to evacuate several families of the tiny spot of land between Wrightsville Beach, N.C., and the mainland. Water was over the road and ocean waves,' hurled up by Hazel, were breaking across the island on which Wrightsville Beach is located. The entire island had been evacuated in time, however. Although a number of ships had been reported in the' storm's path, the coast guard at Norfolk, VA., reported receiving no distress signals during the past 24 hours. The coast guard lightship southeast of Wilmington reported winds of 70 miles an hour at 7 a.m. (EST), when Hazel was some distance to the south.

HAZEL WAS HERE.
From the Evening Guide October 16, 1954

High Winds Buffet Port Hope During Night, Hydro Service Disrupted, Trees, TV Aerials Smashed Down By Storm.
BY JAMES G. FOSTER British United Trees Staff Correspondent

Toronto, Oct. 16 - (BUP) - Hazel the killer hurricane stabbed into the heart of Canada today blazing a new trail of destruction and boosting the death, toll over the 70 mark. Hazel, the eighth tropical storm of the season had taken at least 72 lives and was still raging. In it's wake along the eastern seaboard of the United States were at least 46 dead. Five were known dead in Canada, where others were feared drowned or trapped by swollen rivers. Spawned near the tropical windward islands, it accounted for at least 21 deaths in the republic of Haiti before smashing into the U.S. mainland yesterday, leaving a grim path of destruction extending to the frigid Hudson Bay. Track washouts north of Toronto cancelled several Canadian National Railway train services, the CNR said today. Sleeping car passengers to North Bay spent the night in their berths in the Toronto yards while crews worked to make repairs so service could be resumed later today. One train which left last night for North Bay and points beyond got just as far as the St. Clair Station in Toronto before it was stopped and brought back. The Toronto-Midland train got as far as Aurora before it was halted by a washout ahead. Before it could be returned to Toronto, it was trapped by another washout behind. Troth the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways cancelled all night trains for the west. They were started, out this morning.

Port Hope By Leo Petticrew
Hurricane Hazel blew into town like a drunken sailor early last evening, toppled trees across roadways, smashed windows, upset television aerials and made a general nuisance, of herself. Hydro service was continually interrupted when lines broke under the weight of falling trees and limbs, and this morning some parts of town were still without electricity. Hazel came in riding a high wind about four o'clock in the afternoon and by midnight the greatest part of town had felt her not too gentle approach. A 1954 model station wagon owned by local businessman Glen James was the first casualty about 6 p.m. when part of a large tree fell across it on Strachan Street. The roof was caved in to the seat tops. Downtown shoppers were left in the dark for the first time about 7:10 p.m. and before power was restored a half hour later firemen had been called to a small blaze at the rear of Durham Furriers. Hydro service was interrupted in parts of town again between 8 and 9 and between 9 and 10. Eventually it went off completely and stayed off most of the night in the greater part of town.

General Havoc.
A large piece of sheet metal blew off the roof of a downtown store and landed in the middle of the main street but no one was injured. Hazel was also responsible for slamming the door of the men's entrance at the St. Lawrence Hotel and the frosted glass was shattered to pieces. Part of a district barn was blown over and other barns were damaged. By 10 p.m. trees were reported down in some sections of town and the enameling room night shift at Port Hope Sanitary went home after a portion of the roof was blown off one part of the factory. A large fan was also wrecked by the wind. A huge sign at Roberts Uptown Market crashed to the sidewalk and a telephone booth was blown over. Garbage cans were upset by high winds scattering debris in all directions. This morning trees blocked Walton, Dorset and King Streets, and near the C.P.R. station on Peter Street large trees toppled over taking telegraph lines with them. A whole row of trees was reported uprooted near the new Nicholson File plant in the east of town. The surrounding district fared no better. Hydro service was still out of order at Welcome this morning, shingles and sections of roofing were blown off houses, and sheds and barns in the district took a terrific beating. The tobacco district north of here was also hard hit. A number of greenhouses and barns were reported damaged by winds. A large tree crashed down across a garage at the home of Herb Long on King Street. A television aerial at the;'home of Police Chief C. W. Graham was badly mangled at the height of the storm.

Trees Uprooted.
At the foot of King Street, lake waters washed up onto the roadway carrying stones and debris with them. A large tree blocked traffic late this morning. The top of town was heavily buffeted during the night and a number of television aerials were knocked over like match sticks. Some trees were completely uprooted bringing sections of sidewalk with them. One person commented that upper Walton street looked like a forest this morning. Traffic was rerouted. Police today report, no serious damage or injury but the full extant of havoc will not be known for some time. Trains were reported running behind schedule today, Down on Mill Street opposite the bus station a giant tree crushed over with its roots lifting the walk in the air. The top of the tree brushed a house porch as it fell, The operation room window at Port Hope Hospital was broken and was covered by a tarpaulin today. Cobourg was heavily hit also, hydro was off, and telephone service between the towns was still out this morning. Hydro Lines were down north of Port Hope and the district in general was entering a state of paralysis when the storm finally abated in the early hours of the morning. Trees in the vicinity of the Town Hall were knocked over, one coming to rest on top of a monument and another in the park crashed down the wrong way on a one-way street. Late this morning hydro workmen and town employees were attempting to bring things back to normal.

HURRICANE LOSS MAY BE $100,000,000
From the Evening Guide October 18, 1954

Worst Natural Disaster In Ontario s History; At Least 62 Known Dead.
By James G. Foster British United Press Staff Correspondent.

Toronto, Oct. 18 - (BUP) - Premier Leslie Frost issued a national appeal for at least $10,-000,000 today as haggard searchers hunted for additional victims in the shambles left by hurricane Hazel, the worst natural disaster in Ontario's history. The list of known dead stood at 62, dozens of others were missing, and property damage ran into countless millions of dollars. After a three-hour tour of the flooded areas along the Humber River toy automobile and airplane, Frost said the Relief Fund would require a minimum of $10,000,000 in addition to any provincial assistance. Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent at the same time wired assurances to officials of shattered communities that they would receive federal aid. It was expected the government would use money from its special revolving fund for disaster relief established last year. The Federal Cabinet will meet tomorrow to fix the size of its contribution. Finance Minister Walter Harris was visiting the stricken area today. The Atkinson Charitable Foundation made the biggest initial contribution of $250,000 to the official Ontario Hurricane Relief Fund established today. Ford of Canada sent $25,000, the Hamilton Board of Control approved a $20,000 grant and the United Church of Canada gave $5,000. Fred Gardiner, Chairman of the Toronto Metropolitan Council, said it still was not possible to estimate the full magnitude of the loss, but he said it might run to $100,000,000.

Estimate $60,000 Loss In Poultry Farm Fire Near Cobourg, Sunday.
Cobourg - Fire of unknown origin destroyed the processing and refrigeration building of W. J. Stewart's poultry farm yesterday morning around six o'clock. Constable Bob Caldwell, on patrol near the north end of the town, saw the glow of the fire and summoned the fire department. Mr. Stewart and his family were asleep when the fire alarm was turned in. Firemen kept the blaze from spreading to other buildings but Mr. Stewart estimates his loss at around $50,000 to $60,000. He still has his poultry barns and a building which he can use until the burned one is rebuilt and he said he would still be doing business this coming week. Lost in the fire was the refrigeration plant, valued at $10,000 and more than $2,000 worth of chickens, turkies and geese which were in cold storage. Mr. Stewart, fearful of safe crackers as a result of the recent robbery at Jeffery's store, had taken the cash out of safe, amounting to $1,900 and hidden it in a rafter of the building. The money went in the fire. Also lost were egg-grading and poultry-processing equipment. There was insurance coverage of 60 percent. About two years ago, fire destroyed Mr. Stewart's house on the farm and prior to that fire destroyed his house out on the Baltimore road. "I wonder just how much a person can stand," he said, yesterday.

TORONTO AREA:
Could Have Averted Much Loss If Civil Defense Plan In Operation - Co-ordinator.
Toronto, Oct. 18 - (BUP) - Maj. Gen. F. F. Worthington, Federal Civil Defense Co-ordinator, said after touring hurricane damage in the Toronto area that much of the loss in life and property had been needless. He said the disaster pointed up the need for better civil defense organization. He criticized the lack of advance warnings to the stricken districts, the lack of preparations after the weather bureau warned the storm was approaching, and the lack of organization which followed the disaster. "We've been doing a lot of talking about civil defense and we've heard a lot of talking," Worthington said. "What happened during the floods talks for itself. "If there had been any kind of civil defense organization, trained and equipped, it could easily have been mobilized and it would have filled a breech. "Everyone did his best but I can't help reflecting, "what a shameful waste of life and property. It needn't have happened."

Unclaimed Child.
Toronto, Oct. 18 - (BUP) - A baby girl about four months old who survived a chain of harrowing flood rescues lay unclaimed today in St. Joseph's Hospital. Of all the Hurricane Hazel survivors, the infant was one of the most pathetic. Relief workers feared her mother managed to save the child only minutes before she herself drowned in the swirling waters of the Humber River. Scores of people tried to identify the baby Saturday and Sunday, but no one could definitely claim her. Teenaged Sylvia Jones said an unknown woman handed her the baby when homes were being abandoned early Saturday in Long-Branch. The girl took the baby and climbed a rooftop to escape the floods. The two were rescued later by the Lakeview Fire Department, but the fire truck bogged down while it was rushing the infant to hospital. In the ensuing confusion she somehow became separated from the firemen and turned up in the arms of a Red Cross driver, who rushed her to St. Joseph's. Hospital authorities said she was healthy and thriving after a meal and a nap.

Production Halted.
Toronto, Oct. 18 - (BUP) - Hurricane Hazel halted key defense production today at A. V. Roe of Canada, Ltd., designers of the CF-100 all-weather jet fighter and the Orenda jet engine. The company said more than 1,000 of its 15,000 employees suffered property damage in the weekend floods, several were feared drowned, and most of the others were virtually isolated from the plant. Company, Union and municipal officials hoped to learn at a meeting today whether work could start up again tomorrow.

Relief Fund.
Hamilton, Ont., Oct. 18-(BUP) -Hamilton's private television station, CHCH-TV, launched a relief fund for Toronto flood victims yesterday and collected more than $10,000 in the first four hours of its campaign.

Trees Uprooted And Cars Damaged When Storm Hit Cobourg Last Friday Night.
Cobourg is slowly emerging from a tangle of fallen trees, telephone and hydro poles and a litter of electric and telephone wires but some streets are still without light and power in spite of the fact that utilities employees have been working without let-up since late Friday night. The effect of the hurricane has emphasized the perhaps hitherto unappreciated advantages of modern light and power and. paradoxically the still-existent advantages of the old fashioned coal-fired cook stoves. People, minus light and current for cooking, have been using hastily-procured coal oil and gasoline stoves but shivered in houses devoid of heat because of lifeless oil burners. Those with coal furnaces have been all right for heat but without light, while the odd house with a cook stove has had heat and cooking facilities but no electric light. But in the confusion, the generosity of those who have, sharing with those who haven't, has helped keep households functioning during the emergency. The town awakened to a scene of utter devastation in many sections. "Awakened" is perhaps not the right word for all concerned because many citizens were kept awake all night by the roar of the wind and the thunder of falling-trees. Queen Street was the hardest hit and from Church east on Queen for several hundred yards was a confusion of huge fallen elm trees, smashed and leaning-hydro and telephone poles. Town Streets department employees, equipped with power saws, some of which were loaned by Neil Kennedy, cut up the fallen trees so that they, could clear the roads for the utilities gang. Shorthanded because of the death of the utilities electrical department foreman and the recent dismissal of two linesmen, the utilities staff worked under great difficulties. Two of them, George Campbell and Fred Kerr, although forbidden by their doctors to climb poles, still climbed them to cut away wires and replace them.
George Campbell was only recently released from the Cobourg General Hospital. From late Friday night until Saturday night, the men worked without let-up except for a brief break from four a.m. to six a.m. on Saturday morning. Their meals that day were hastily-grabbed sandwiches. On Sunday they were back at their jobs again and are still working to-day trying to restore power and light to all parts of the town that were affected. The town streets department men also did excellent work. On Albert Street, a huge elm on the south side fell across the road and just missed the dwelling of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Leach and the corner of the house where their two children were sleeping. The tree fell between the Leach house and the one occupied by deputy-fire chief Bob Fitzgibbon. The deputy-fire chief, for no reason that he can explain except sheer good luck, had parked his car farther west in front of his house, than usual and the tree missed it. However four cars parked just west of the pavilion were damaged when a large tree fell, clearing the pavilion roof but landing on the cars. Two of the cars were badly damaged, one owned by Bruce Waite and the other by one of the members of the orchestra that played at the pavilion Friday night. On highway No. 2, two cars were struck by falling trees, one near Wicklow and the other near the Shelter Valley Road. The car struck near Wicklow was towed into Cobourg badly wrecked and the driver was treated at Cobourg hospital. He was released after receiving medical attention and later proceeded on by train. The hurricane blew a warehouse off the T-pier, smashing it to pieces, carrying part of the roof right across the harbour to pile it against the side of a coal building. A large tree up on Albert Street west, divided as it fell, only slightly damaging a house near the corner of Albert and Ontario Streets. Trees were uprooted in the park near the tennis courts and lawn bowling, wrecking fences and light standards. These were towering elm trees whose roots were pulled right out of the ground. Television arials were down all over town although in some high places they remained standing. All in all it was a bad night for Cobourg, the worst storm in its history but nobody was hurt.

245 Are Dead, 100 Missing, Many Injured, Thousands Homeless In Hazel's Wake.
From the Evening Guide October 19, 1954

By United Press.
Rescue workers searched the 2,000 mile long strip of destruction left by Hurricane Hazel for nearly. 100 persons missing since the mighty storm whipped up from the tropics and roared northward through the United States and Canada. Only slight hope remained that they would be found alive. At the moment, the known death toll stood at 245. The official death toll in Haiti was 98. Sixty others were missing. There were 1,200 injured and 100,000 homeless. Many of the dead were found in isolated areas entered yesterday for the first time since the hurricane struck last Wednesday.
In the United States 82 were dead in the path Hazel cut across North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and the district of Columbia. The 130 mile an hour winds of he hurricane stabbed inland first near Myrtle Beach, S.C., early Friday and centered much of their destruction there before cutting a path northward toward Canada. An estimated 2,000 homes were shattered in the Carolinas alone. Storm fed rivers flooded in Canada adding to the whirler's damage from high powered winds. At least 65 were dead. Thirty were missing. Bridges were knocked out, homes were battered or washed away. Transportation and communications were knocked out. Rescue work started even before the storm had finished its grim business.

Send Aid.
Loads of powdered and canned milk and flour were flown into Haiti by three cargo planes of the Flying Tiger line. The Haitian Red Cross distributed 5,000 surplus military uniforms. Curacao sent in a plane load of food and emergency supplies. Venezuela, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic sent contributions. The U.S. announced it had shipped 86 tons of food to Haiti and was arranging for shipment of an additional 3,814 tons. Famine threatened and food prices skyrocketed 300 per cent at Port Au Prince. A fuel shortage developed. In the United States President Eisenhower released emergency funds to provide relief to hundreds of stricken communities in Maryland. North of South Carolina. Tractors, cranes and bulldozers |were rushed into the Chesapeake Bay area to help refloat the Maryland oyster fleet. Water chorinators and purifying units were ordered for North and South Carolina. The small business administration designated 40 counties in North and South Carolina and New Jersey as disaster areas, thereby permitting residents to apply for three per cent loans to rebuild homes and businesses. Premier Leslie Frost of Ontario appealed for $10,000,000 in donations. Estimates of damage amounted to $100,000,000. Relief plans remained dependent upon assessment of losses by municipal bodies.